🌱 How will the new Housatonic cleanup reshape Pittsfield’s riverfront?
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Patch AM: a 5 min readMorning Pittsfield! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- How will the new Housatonic cleanup reshape Pittsfield’s riverfront?
- What last-minute clash nearly derailed Pittsfield’s $232.8 million budget?
- How will Pittsfield’s new school plan change your child’s bus ride?
Today's riddle: What do sweet potatoes wear to bed? 🤔 (Answer below!)
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- Friday: An afternoon thunderstorm, with a high of 90 and low of 59 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Saturday: Mostly sunny and less humid, temps: high: 83, low: 56.
- Sunday: An afternoon thunderstorm, with a high of 87 and low of 59 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. PCB cleanup plan for Housatonic River in Pittsfield (wwlp.com) — Pittsfield residents are being asked to weigh in on General Electric’s detailed cleanup and restoration plan for PCB contamination in the Housatonic River’s Reach 5A, running through the city. About 200,000 cubic yards of polluted sediment and soil would be removed, with a 90-day public comment period open through August 10 and a June 3 public meeting to explain the design. 
2. Pittsfield $232M budget passes despite council clash over amendments (wnyt.com) — Pittsfield’s City Council has approved a $232.8 million budget, a 3 percent increase over last year, after a tense debate over conference reimbursements and the council’s authority to amend the mayor’s plan. Councilors ultimately dropped the amendment effort and passed the spending package as proposed, shaping city services and taxes for the coming year.
3. As Pittsfield school changes near, parents still waiting on bus routes (berkshireeagle.com) — Pittsfield Public Schools is moving ahead with major fall changes, assigning teachers and reassigning former Morningside students while parents still wait for finalized bus routes. All fifth and sixth graders will attend Herberg and all seventh and eighth graders Reid, with new electives aligned to programs at Taconic and Pittsfield High School aimed at improving opportunities and equity.
4. Taconic High Names Top Students of the Class of 2026 (iberkshires.com) — Taconic High School in Pittsfield has named Gavin O’Donnell valedictorian and Hunter Bentz salutatorian for the Class of 2026, both longtime local standouts in academics and athletics. The pair will address classmates at Friday’s 4 p.m. graduation ceremony at Tanglewood, as they prepare to study finance at Vassar and electrical engineering at UMass Amherst.
5. BCC Hires Dean of Nursing, Health & Wellness (iberkshires.com) — Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield has hired Dr. Mohammad Alkawaldeh as its new Dean of Nursing, Health & Wellness, starting August 17. With advanced training from UMass Amherst and Johns Hopkins and experience in clinical research and teaching, he’ll guide key health programs that train many of the Berkshires’ future nurses and caregivers.
📸 Around Pittsfield
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🗓
Upcoming Events in
Pittsfield
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
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West Stockbridge Historical Society Presents: Frog Fables and Salamander Stories
Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Inc (BEAT) Old Town Hall, 9 Main St, West Stockbridge, MA, 01266, United States
7:00 pm -
Second Saturday Volunteer Day at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary →
Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Inc (BEAT) Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 472 West Mountain Rd, Lenox, MA, 01240, United States
9:00 am -
Pittsfield Farmers Market
Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Inc (BEAT) Pittsfield Common, 100 1st St., Pittsfield, MA
9:00 am -
Downtown Pittsfield Walk – Neighbors and Strangers
Herman Melville's Arrowhead Berkshire Athenaeum, 1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, MA, 01201, United States
11:00 am -
A Nature Year at Pleasant Valley: Spring →
Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Inc (BEAT) Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 472 West Mountain Rd, Lenox, MA, 01240, United States
6:00 pm -
Wine Tasting - Thomas Jefferson, Wine Lover and Collector
Herman Melville's Arrowhead Arrowhead, 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, MA, 01201, United States
5:30 pm -
Act on Climate with 350Mass Berkshires
Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Inc (BEAT) Online
6:00 pm -
Egremont Orchestra Concert
Pittsfield Public Schools Egremont Cafeteria
6:00 pm
Friday June 12
Saturday June 13
Wednesday June 17
📣 Pittsfield Shout Outs!
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🗓 Events Nearby
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Wild Thing 5K/10K Trail Race and Walk →
Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Inc (BEAT) Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 472 West Mountain Rd, Lenox, MA, 01240, United States
8:00 am -
Building Better Soil: A Three-Part Soil Health Intensive →
Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Inc (BEAT) Mount Wachusett Community College, 444 Green St., Gardner, MA
10:00 am -
Dalton Ballet Recital
Wahconah Regional High School Dalton, MA 01226
4:00 pm -
West Stockbridge Historical Society Presents: Frog Fables and Salamander Stories
Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Inc (BEAT) Old Town Hall, 9 Main St, West Stockbridge, MA, 01266, United States
7:00 pm
Friday June 12
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Disabledperson, Inc posted a job opening for Janitorial Associate at Walmart in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in Pittsfield. Apply here.
- Tractor Supply Company posted a job opening for Team Member in Pittsfield. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Pittsfield here.
Ok Pittsfield! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Yammies! (Thank you Lynda S. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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